Joy Overcame Sorrow with Dr. Jerry Woodbridge is a heartwarming podcast that delves into the transformative power of healing after loss. Hosted by Carrie Watts, Dr. Jerry Woodbridge shares her journey as a widow, educator, and author of Joy Overcame Sorrow and Joy’s Journal. Through personal stories, expert advice, and practical tools, Dr. Woodbridge offers support for those navigating grief and loss.

With over 40 years of experience in education and a deep passion for helping others find hope, Dr. Woodbridge shares insights into her own healing process and how she has supported children and families in grief. Whether you are processing your own sorrow or seeking to offer support to others, this podcast provides the encouragement and wisdom needed to move through grief and rediscover joy. Tune in for inspiring conversations on healing, faith, and resilience.

In this powerful and heartfelt episode of Widowed 2 Soon, host Michelle Bader Ebersole is joined by Dr. Jerry Woodbridge—educator, author, and fellow widow—for a deeply moving conversation recorded on International Widows Day. Together, they shine a global light on the realities of widowhood, the healing power of creativity, and the vital role of community support.

Dr. Jerry shares her personal journey of love, loss, and resilience, beginning with her love story, the joy of adoption, and the sudden tragedy that changed everything. With wisdom and vulnerability, she opens up about navigating early grief, parenting as a solo mom, and finding unexpected healing through ballroom dancing and writing.

This episode is packed with insight and inspiration for anyone walking through grief—or walking alongside someone who is.

Jerry L. Woodbridge is a Christian author and educator specializing in grief support and education. After experiencing the sudden loss of her husband, she guided her own children through grief, inspiring her to write books that offer hope and healing. Her works include Trading My Sorrows: For the Joy of the Lord, which explores widowhood and faith-based healing. Joy Overcame Sorrow, a children's book on grief and Resilience and Joy, Journal, which provides guided questions, thoughtful prompts, and space to write, as you explore Joy's story while making sense of your own emotions. As a dedicated 40-year educator, Jerry has impacted countless lives, teaching students from K-9th grade and mentoring doctoral candidates in higher education. She currently serves as an assistant professor in the School of Education at Liberty University, where she is known for her caring, supportive, and inspirational teaching style.

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Valerie interviews her ballroom dancing friend, who wrote a book about Joy, who lost her father. She wrote the book from Joy's perspective and takes the reader through the process of her grief. Here is what Jerry said when Valerie asked her for comments about her book: "Joy Overcame Sorrow has three audiences: Children (4th-7th grade) who have lost a loved one or a reader who wants to understand how to support a friend who has, the helpers of children who have lost loved ones, and adults with unresolved grief who may have lost a loved one as a child. I am also being told by one of my book launch members, who recently lost her dad, that she has found the book comforting. There is also a companion journal that asks questions from the book and offers open-ended prompts for personalization of their grief journey. This led to a new understanding of unresolved grief. If we do not help children navigate the process of grief, then they may have unresolved grief as adults." I so agree! As a Counselor, I assist those who do not even know they are carrying grief.

Have you ever wondered if grief could ever give way to genuine laughter again? Or sensed the weight of sorrow so heavy it silenced even your brightest smile? In this episode, Dr. Jerry Woodbridge—widow, educator, and author—shares how she turned her own heartbreak into hope for countless children and families. Stay with us to discover the unexpected path from loss to joy… and why one little girl’s voice became the heartbeat of a healing story.

Navigating Teen Grief When Parents Grieve

What happens when grief arrives unexpectedly, shattering the life you carefully built? Dr. Jerry Woodbridge knows this terrain intimately. After losing her husband to cancer just one day after his diagnosis, she found herself navigating not only her own grief but also guiding her children through theirs.

In this profound conversation, Dr. Woodbridge dispels common misconceptions about the grieving process. Forget the neat, orderly stages you've heard about—grief is more like "having a thousand hornets around your head" or bouncing on a trampoline while attempting to climb stairs. You make progress, fall back, bounce up again, and repeat in an unpredictable cycle that doesn't follow a timetable.

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